Heuchera plant named &#39;Creole Nights&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Heuchera  plant characterized by medium large, glossy near black leaves year round, medium to short, dark peduncles, bicolor pink and white flowers, a well-branched medium-large, mounding habit, and excellent vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Heuchera hybrid

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Creole Nights’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera and given the cultivar name of ‘Creole Nights’. Heuchera is in the family Saxifragaceae. Heuchera ‘Creole Nights’ originated from a cross between Heuchera K187-7, a proprietary non-commercial hybrid, as the seed parent, and Heuchera K159-1, a proprietary non-commercial hybrid, as, as the pollen parent.

Compared to the seed parent, Heuchera K187-7, the new cultivar has glossy near black rather than dull brown leaves.

Compared to the pollen parent, Heuchera K159-1, the new cultivar has red black rather than red brown leaves.

Compared to Heuchera ‘Obsidian’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,836, the new cultivar has a larger habit, larger leaves, shorter inflorescences, and larger flowers.

This new Heuchera is uniquely distinguished by:

1. medium large, glossy near black leaves year round,

2. medium to short, dark peduncles,

3. bicolor pink and white flowers,

4. well branched, medium large, mounding habit,

5. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (tip cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may change with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a 1-and-a-half-year-old plant of Heuchera ‘Creole Nights’ growing in a two gallon container, grown in a cool greenhouse, in May in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera cultivar based on observations taken in April of 2-year-old specimens growing in a two gallon container, grown in a cool greenhouse, in May in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Form.—basal rosette, herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.         -   Size.—26 cm tall from top of the foliage to the ground and             55 cm wide.         -   Habit.—mounding.         -   Vigor.—excellent. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—simple.         -   Arrangement.—rosette.         -   Shape.—ovate to orbicular.         -   Lobing/division.—5 to 7 shallow lobes, shallow secondary             lobes.         -   Venation.—palmate.         -   Margins.—broadly crenate.         -   Apex.—mucronulate.         -   Base.—cordate, lobes overlapping at the base.         -   Blade size.—grows to 13 cm long and 11.5 cm wide.         -   Texture.—leathery.         -   Surface texture.—glandular pubescent on both sides.         -   Petiole description.—grows to 17 cm long and 2.5 mm wide,             glandular hairs, Greyed Purple N186B.         -   Leaf color.—topside, new leaves are Greyed Purple N186B,             bottom side Greyed Purple 187A; mature leaves topside are             Greyed Purple N186A, bottom side Purple N77A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Size.—grows to 5 cm wide and 9 cm long.         -   Type.—thyrse.         -   Number of flowers per thyrse.—about 60.         -   Number of thyrse.—about 20 in the first spring flush.         -   Peduncle.—grows to 28 cm long and 3 mm wide at base, Greyed             Purple N186B, glandular hairs.         -   Pedicel.—1.5 mm to 4 mm, with glandular hairs, Greyed Green             195A.         -   Bloom period.—May through October in Canby, Oreg. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—3.5 mm wide and 5 mm long.         -   Description.—glandular puberulent, ovoid, down facing.         -   Color.—Greyed Purple 186B on the bottom half and White N155A             on the top half. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—perfect.         -   Shape.—campanulate.         -   Size.—8 mm long and 5 mm wide.         -   Corolla description.—5 petals, 3 mm long and less than 1 mm             wide, spatulate, margins entire, tip acute, glabrous on top             and bottom side, White N155B.         -   Calyx description.—campanulate, 7 mm long and 5 mm wide,             with 5 lobes divided ½ way to the base, each 2 mm wide and             3.5 mm long, dense glandular hairs outside and some             glandular hairs inside, tip obtuse, margin entire; color             both sides Greyed Purple 186B to 186C on bottom half and             White N155B on top half.         -   Stamen description.—5 in number, filaments 4 mm long, White             N155B, anthers 0.4 mm, Greyed Orange 167B, pollen none.         -   Pistil description.—1, 2-beaked, 7 mm long and 2 mm wide;             ovary 2 mm long and 2 mm wide, Yellow Green 152B; style 5 mm             long, White NN155B.         -   Fragrance.—none.         -   Lastingness.—each thyrse blooms for about 3 weeks on the             plant. -   Fruit:     -   -   Type.—two-beaked ovoid capsule.         -   Fertility.—low.         -   Color.—Greyed Brown 199C. -   Seed:     -   -   Shape.—linear.         -   Size.—2 mm long.         -   Color.—Black 202A. -   Pest and disease tolerance: Excellent disease resistance to powdery     mildew, the common problem of Heuchera. Susceptible to Heuchera rust     and root weevils. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Heuchera plant as herein illustrated and described. 